Sightless Pain
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: A kunoichi seeks aid from one of the Villages, but hardly expects what she discovers when she arrives in Sunakagure. Finding herself sent to Konohagakure, she has no choice but to hope for the best, and trust in those told to guard her. NejiOC ON HIATUS
1. First Eye

Summary: A survivor of Kiragakure finds her way to Sunagakure, looking for aid wherever she might find it. However much she might know of the Kazekage, though, notihing can prepare her for what awairs her.

Warning: None yet.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything related Naruto, except this fanfiction, plot, and OC.

Hey, all! I'm finally back, and with a new story to kick off the end of my problems with It's a Gaara/OC fic, but I've done my best to keep his character definitely the way we all know it. I hope you all enjoy it. Oh, and if anyone knows how to make jutsu names or something like that, please message me! All names are taken from reliable sources.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

The kuonichi winced at the wet sound of her shuriken hitting a pursuer, but didn't stop her running over the sand, wishing there was some cover so she could take a rest for a second. Dodging another weapon, she winced as a second sliced into her arm, blood spattering onto the hot grains beneath her feet. Grateful – as she always was – that she had mastery over her chakra as much as the best shinobi could, and hoping she had enough in her reserves to make it, the young woman quickly made several hand signs and ignored the screams that reached her ears as she poured chakra into her feet, willing her body to go faster than it was supposed to.

Unable to go much farther, she paused, not hearing any more attackers behind her, and took a moment to catch her breath before pushing her body to its limits, sensing her chakra was almost gone. Stopping for a second time, she performed a final hand sign before dropping to the ground, her body almost dead from exhaustion.

* * *

"What the hell is this?" the shinobi demanded to his companions, coming upon an unusual sight outside of their village. They were from Sunagakure Village, and had been almost finished with their daily patrol of the border of their lands when they had spotted something in the distance. After ensuring that there was no immediate danger, they had immediately gone to investigate.

"It looks like a young woman," Temari commented dryly, crouching down to inspect the figure. Blood and dirt caked the person's clothing and features, and sand had blown over it as well, but Temari was almost certain it was female.

"There aren't any weapons on her, ma'm," another cell member reported, inspecting the figure. "Could she really be a shinobi? There's no makimono pouch."

"If it's a spy, it's in our best interest to bring her in for questioning," she ordered, straightening and turning to the other two jônin beside her. "And if she isn't, we can hardly just leave her here. Who knows what kind of trouble that could cause? One of you get her and we'll bring her back to the village."

"Yes, ma'm!" the first shinobi saluted, and immediately slung the unconscious figure over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. Without further conversation, Temari led her cell back to Sunagakure, wondering what her brother would have to say about this development.

* * *

"First an attack on Iwagakure and almost killing the Tsuchikage, and now you find some half-dead person in the sand?" Gaara demanded, obviously unhappy with recent events. Now twenty years old, the Kazekage had long since earned respect in his village and among other shinobi – but was currently not in the mood for surprises. "Why didn't you just kill it?"

"If she was a messenger from Iwagakure or any other village, it wouldn't have been prudent to just slay her," Temari informed him calmly, though on the inside she was choosing her words carefully. "And if she's a spy, then I believe it is in our best interest to capture her and interrogate her to the best of our abilities."

"Yeah, yeah," the Kazekage waved his hand impatiently, getting to his feet. "Anything else unusual on patrol?"

"None of the cells reported anything," she replied, and he narrowed his eyes suddenly.

"That isn't what I asked."

"Not to my knowledge, no," she corrected, suppressing an urge to take a step back as her brother moved forward.

"Fine. I suppose I have to go see it for myself," Gaara muttered, walking right past her and out the door of his office. Temari released a silent sigh of relief, and turned to glare at Kankuro.

"You could have said something, you know!"

"Hey, I already said my cell was fine," her other brother defended himself. "I have a feeling Gaara wants you to go with him, so you better hurry to catch up."

"Ohh…" she growled, and mumbled something under her breath in aggravation, but quickly spun around and stalked down the hall in an effort to catch up with the temperamental Kazekage.

* * *

"This is the person we found in the desert," Temari told him, as they entered a hospital room. "She's in bad condition, but we found her before she could drop dead. We found this next to her, but I can't make it out," she added, handing her brother a shinobi hitai-ate, with the marking appearing to have been deliberately scratched out by someone.

"Hmm…strange," Gaara muttered, while his gaze rested on the figure in the bed. A young woman, appearing around their age, had been cleaned up and bandaged, revealing smooth features and straight dark-brown hair. "There were no weapons or anything else on her?"

"No, Gaara," his sister shook her head. "Nothing except that nearby. I sent a cell to search the area, but they came up empty-handed as well."

"Who is she?" he demanded, moving closer to inspect her.

"We don't know yet," his sister reported. "She should regain consciousness soon, though, and we'll get to work on her as soon as she does."

"Have her blindfolded as soon as she wakes up," he ordered. "If she is a spy, we don't need her to see anything of Sunagakure."

"There won't be any need for that, Lord Kazekage," one of the doctors interrupted, nervously taking a step forward. "While we were inspecting her for injuries, we naturally looked at her eyes, and – well, it was obvious what was wrong," he finished, moving closer and lifting one of her eyelids for them to see.

"She's blind?" Temari realized with surprise, as they saw the girl's eyes. They were a grayed-over blue, lacking any pupils, and a misted appearance.

"Are you sure this isn't a trick?" Gaara demanded. "After all, the Hyuga clan doesn't have normal eyes – neither do I. It could be a kekki-genkai, or a shinobi bloodline."

"We performed several tests, Lord Kazekage, and all indicated she is indeed blind," the doctor said, quickly covering his tracks. "However, I suppose there will be no way to tell for sure until she is conscious…"

"Then blindfold her now," the young man ordered. "I'm not going to take any chances."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage," the doctor nodded, retrieving a piece of cloth and quickly tying it around the female's eyes.

"Inform me as soon as she wakes up," Gaara continued, turning to leave. "Temari, you stay here in case she tries to pull something."

"Yes," she nodded, a little irritated at having to baby-sit a prone shinobi – if that's what she was – but definitely not going to argue with her brother.

As Gaara left the room, she sighed and pulled a chair up beside the bed, leaning closer to a table to inspect the girl's clothes, hoping a clue would be in them. They had been removed when she had been brought to the hospital, and cleaned of all previous dirt and blood. A fishnet shirt with long sleeves, with a solid black piece of cloth to cover the breasts and interrupting the pattern of the net was folded on top of a pair of white capris, while black zoki rested on the floor beside the bed.

"Hmm…pretty generic stuff, and no symbols of any kind," Temari mused, leaning back with a sigh. "Oh well – I guess Kankuro will have to take over the cell supervision until I can leave," she grinned, remembering Sunagakure had been on high alert since the attack on Iwagakure, putting pressure on the two siblings in their meetings with Gaara.

"Do you require anything?" the doctor asked, and she shook her head in annoyance, hating to have to deal with the sniveling lower-class shinobi that had a job in the ward as the head doctor. Granted, his skills were top-notch, but there was no need for such…spinelessness.

"No, you can leave," she said sharply, and closed her eyes once the man had left. "Finally," she muttered, preparing to get some rest.

* * *

Several hours later, as the sun began to descend from the sky, Temari was woken by noises coming from the young woman in the bed, and quickly shot to her feet and glared down at the girl. The wounded female had been trying to sit up, and Temari pushed her down onto her back with one hand, glaring down at her. The girl quickly bit her lip, muffling a swear, and Temari realized she had pushed onto a wound. Feeling slightly guilty, she shook the emotion away, reminding herself they didn't know who she was.

"Not so fast," she warned the girl, who grinned up sheepishly, appearing embarrassed. The shinobi doctor had rushed off as soon as the patient had started to move, and was nowhere in sight.

"Wh – where am I?" the young woman asked curiously, and Temari raised an eyebrow.

"I'm the one asking the questions here," she returned sharply. "Who are you? Your name, age, and rank – if you're even a shinobi." Temari untied the blindfold, deciding it would be easier to tell if she was lying if she could see the girl's eyes – if she wasn't blind, that is.

"Seki – age nineteen – jônin," the girl replied calmly, her eyes gazing unseeingly at the ceiling. Temari narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but was almost positive the girl was indeed blind.

"Last name, shinobi," Temari ordered, and the girl sighed.

"Yahagi Seki."

"So, she's awake," Gaara stated, returning with the doctor following behind him. "I thought I told you to inform me when she woke up, Temari," he said harshly, and the woman winced slightly.

"She was moving, and I had to pin her," she explained, and Gaara's gaze shifted to the young woman on the bed calmly.

"Has she said anything?"

"She says her name is Yahagi Seki, that she's nineteen, and a jônin," Temari told him, and her brother nodded slightly before moving directly next to the girl and grasping her chin in one hand, forcing her head to move to face him. She quickly pulled the sheet around herself to prevent herself from being exposed, and briefly frowned unseeingly in his direction.

"So, Yahagi Seki, did you fake those wounds as well?" he asked quietly, and Temari kept a shudder back, hearing the cold tone in his voice. The girl blinked nervously, obviously unsure what was going on, and took a moment to answer. It was a moment too long for Gaara, who shook her head sharply and glared at her – not that the glare had much effect. "Did you use a jutsu to create your wounds like you created your unconsciousness?" he repeated, his voice almost a hiss.

"N-no…I used a jutsu combining genjustu and taijutusu to knock myself out without further injury," Seki finally revealed. "I thought it'd be easier to get inside Sunagakure if I was a wounded, unconscious stranger, instead of just a wounded stranger."

"Why did you want to get inside our village?" Gaara asked, tightening his grip slightly and roughly using his grip on her chin to lift her to a sitting position. Seki furrowed her brow, but didn't offer any noise of protest. "Are you from Iwagakure?" he guessed, narrowing his eyes even more. "Did you come from Iwagakure?"

"I…I escaped from Iwagakure," she admitted, and Temari frowned in confusion.

"Escaped from Iwagakure shinobi, or from the attack?" Gaara's sister demanded, but quickly fell silent when his 'basilisk' glare was directed towards her.

"From the attack," Seki told them. "I was…staying there when it was attacked."

"So, where are you really from?" Gaara demanded, and Seki hesitated before answering, the pause between her previous answer painfully obvious to both Sunagakure shinobi.

"Kiragakure – the Village Hidden in the Mist," she said finally, forcing the words out. Both Gaara and Temari's eyes widened in surprise, but Gaara quickly recovered.

"I've never met a Kiragakure shinobi I didn't like to kill, Yahagi Seki," he told her calmly. "Ever since Zabuza caused all that trouble eight years ago, they've seem to come out of the woodwork, and I've had nothing but trouble with shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Mist. And why did you ask where you were before, if you know you're in Sunagakure already?"

"I didn't – I was assuming," she told him, trying to free herself from his grasp and only getting held tighter for her troubles. "But I was trying to reach here."

"Why not Konohagure?" Gaara persisted, and she sighed.

"Why not Sunagakure?" she retorted, and Temari waited for her brother to do something to the young woman for her tone. However, Gaara kept his temper in check and only gritted his teeth, his grip so tight now it was sure to leave bruises. "I came here because it was closer where I was coming from – and it's harder to get to. And Konohagure and Iwagakure are hardly allies – they'd be even less pleased to see me than you are."

"You think the shinobi are hunting you," Gaara stated flatly. "So you came here in order to make pursuit harder, and put my entire village in danger. I can't say I'm pleased either. What were you doing in Iwagakure?"

"I'm not going to tell you my life story, Lord Kazekage," she said dryly, and Temari blinked.

"How did you know…?"

"Easy, _Temari_," Seki retorted, and her sudden expression revealed a sharp mind behind the unseeing eyes and apparently-naïve face. "Every shinobi has to be observant, and since I'm blind, I pay attention to every little detail. He said your name at the beginning, so that was easy enough. And I've heard of Gaara of the Sand – enough to remember his name, and that he has two siblings named Temari and Kankuro. Plus, he said 'my' village, and Temari defers to him. Besides, who else would be interrogating a rogue shinobi, right?"

"Correct," Gaara nodded reluctantly, certain this girl was no ordinary young woman, if she was able to determine his identity from their conversation. "And if _I'm_ correct, Yahagi was the Mizukage of Kiragakure when Zabuza staged that coupe. As a result, the Village went into chaos after the Mizukage died from inflicted injuries. What relation are you to him?"

"Damn, I should've known you'd figure that one out," Seki sighed, and winced slightly. "Can you please let me go first? I'm not going to try anything – it'd be pretty asinine, after all. You're hurting me. And it's a bit embarrassing to be naked under here – can I get dressed before I keep going? I'd appreciate it. "

"Fine," the Kazekage said shortly, releasing her after a pause and returning his hand to his side, where he quickly crossed his arms across his chest.

"Thanks," the shinobi grinned easily, and turned her head curiously. Bright red prints were on her face where his fingers had gripped her, but she didn't seem to notice the pain anymore. "Now, where…"

"Temari, bring her to my office in five minutes," Gaara ordered, stalking from the room.

"Sure," his sister nodded, and moved to gather Seki's clothing from the table. "I have your clothes right here, so just wait a moment. And you're really lucky."

"Lucky? Yeah, I guess – I could've guessed wrong and died in the desert instead," Seki agreed, gratefully taking her clothing and getting out of the bed, the sheet slipping from her body to the bed. Temari narrowed her eyes when she saw the long scar going across the young woman's breasts, beginning at her right shoulder and stretching almost to the left side of her waist. She refrained from commenting for the moment, and instead handed the shinobi her zoki when she was ready for them.

"I meant Gaara – he doesn't have the best temper," Temari informed the young woman, who turned to her curiously.

"What do you mean?" Seki asked, finally finished dressing. The white pants rested low on her hips, fitting snugly to her knees and flaring slightly beneath them, where her zoki peeped out. The black shirt ended just at the pant's beginning, and the loose sleeves stretched to her wrists. A small symbol was on the corner of her left sleeve, but Temari paid no attention to the dark-blue color.

"He could have killed you without a second thought if he thought you were an irritation," the older woman told her calmly, and Seki blinked nervously.

"I heard that about him…but…I wasn't sure…"

"He's not as bad as before, since he became Kazekage all, but I wouldn't want to be in your place for the world," Temari assured the young woman, peering at her sharply as the shinobi turned her back to Temari to reach for her hitai-ate. The shinobi's hair reached to her shoulder blades, with her hair cut at a sharp angle beginning at her cheekbones and angling down to the bottom and parted on the right. The shortest pieces covered her left eye completely, but the obstruction obviously didn't matter to the blind girl.

"Really," Seki commented, digesting this information about a potential ally. Tying her hitai-ate high on her head sideways, so that the metal brace rested just above her right ear, she pulled her hair over the knot and frowned when she realized her holster was empty. "Where're my…"

"You didn't have any weapons on you," Temari informed her, and the young woman looked slightly surprised before laughing shortly and shaking her head. "That's a bit unusual for a shinobi, especially for a jônin," she continued, and the girl shrugged.

"I forgot about that…" she sighed. "I used the shuriken to set several traps behind me while I worked my way here."

"No comment," Temari said shortly, unsure what to make of the young woman. "Let's go."

"Fine," Seki nodded in agreement, and didn't resist when Temari gripped her upper arm to lead her out of the ward.

* * *

"She forgot her shuriken?" Gaara shook his head in wonderment, having used his Third Eye technique to invade the senses of the shinobi doctor who had been nearby them to observe the entire exchange. _"I wouldn't be a decent Kazekage if I didn't know what was going on in my own village,"_ he mused to himself, releasing the chakra and leaning back in thought.

* * *

Well? I hope it's not too bad, for my first Naruto fic. Please review.


	2. Second Eye

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thanks for the encouraging reviews I've recieved! I wasn't sure how this was going to fly, but it seems okay so far, so I'll keep going. If there are any discrepencies, I apologize - I'm no good at writing political stuff...

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"This seems to be a pretty big village," Seki observed, and Temari shot her a curious glance as they continued their walk. 

"If you can't see, how can you tell anything about your surroundings?" the shinobi asked finally, and Seki laughed shortly.

"I said before – I just have to be extra-observant. The Kazekage said to meet him in five minutes, and either his office is on the other side of the village entirely, or there's just a lot of ground to cover, if the pace we're going is anything to judge by," the young woman shrugged, and Temari shook her head.

"I could just be misleading you," the older woman pointed out, and Seki nodded in agreement.

"True – that's the risks I have to take with things like this," she nodded, moving her head around to feel the slight breeze against her skin. "It's so dry here – but we're in a desert, duh. Silly me."

"You're a very strange person," Temari commented with a sigh, and the blind shinobi was forced to chuckle in agreement.

"Too true – no one thought I could become a shinobi, with my handicap," Seki confided. "But sometimes it's more useful than you'd thing – people naturally assume blind people are weaker, or something like that. So when I was sent out on a mission with my cell and proceeded to kick ass, it was pleasant to show them how strong I could be."

"Why didn't you return to Kiragakure and become Mizukage?" Temari asked suddenly, and the look on Seki's face darkened slightly. "I'm sure with proper leadership the shinobi could have rallied once more and reformed the village properly."

"By the time I was old enough – or skilled enough – it was far too late," Seki shook her head slowly in regret. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather not talk about that too much. It's kind of a sore spot with me," she laughed weakly, and Temari nodded.

"All right – but Gaara isn't going to take no for an answer," she warned the young woman, who merely remained silent in response.

* * *

"Lord Kazekage, you wished to see me?" a shinobi asked, entering the room. He was immediately met with one of Gaara's infamous glares, and gulped audibly before he could help himself. 

"Remember to knock next time," Gaara ordered sharply, and continued even as the shinobi eagerly nodded. "Inform Kankuro to be on the lookout for anything suspicious, especially too many shinobi around."

"Y-yes, Lord Kazekage," the man stammered, quickly retreating from the room. Gaara only had to wait a few moments before Temari and Seki arrived, the former holding onto the latter's arm tightly as she moved her to a chair and sat her down.

"Excellent time, Temari," the Kazekage said coolly, motioning for his sister to sit down while his gaze was concentrated on the blind shinobi before him. "Now, I believe you were going to tell me your connection to the Mizukage."

"I was only a small child when Zabuza attacked Kiragakure," Seki began, obviously reluctantly but still grateful not to be naked in this interrogation. "The Mizukage was my father at the time – I was hidden during the attack, but when it was learned that the Mizukage would die from his injuries, the council feared I would be taken hostage, or killed. The Village was already in a panic following the attack, as many shinobi had either been wiped out, or had followed Zabuza and died in the process. I was spirited from Kiragakure once the Mizukage died, but we were attacked on our journey. I was blinded by a jutsu then," she told them, gesturing to her eyes.

"You possess a kekki-genkai," Gaara stated, and her eyes widened visibly.

"H…wh…"

"That symbol on your shirt is one of the Mizukage's jutsu symbols – the last in an intricate formation to create the kekki-genkai," the young man said firmly. "That's the only reason Zabuza's team would have thought it worth pursuing a child."

"Correct," Seki admitted, and felt his penetrating gaze. "I swore never to use it – I cut all ties to Kiragakure when the shinobi became nothing more than a band of murders and assassins. And…I don't think I have the full jutsu," she revealed with obvious embarrassment, and Gaara raised his eyebrow at her.

"You don't…know it?" Temari repeated in surprise, and the young woman remained still.

"There was no one to teach me – and I couldn't remember anything about it," she told them. "I was only a little girl when the Mizukage died – he would hardly teach me anything about a jutsu as powerful as that one. I wouldn't have understood even if he _had_ told me," she added ruefully. "I was unable to find anything on it on several trips to Kiragakure – stealth missions I carried out on my own. Unfortunately, I believe the information – if there was any – was destroyed."

"Such a sad story," Gaara commented emotionlessly, and Seki looked up slightly at the sound of his voice. "Do you expect us to pity you and harbor you?"

"Hardly," she replied dryly. "I can't stand pity of any kind – I came here because…well, because I knew you were the Kazekage," she shrugged. "After all, most shinobi would never dare to cross Gaara of the Sand's path. I figured I would be safest here, but if you decide to toss me out I'll head to Konohagure instead."

"You seem awfully calm about this whole situation," he continued, and she bit her lip at his mocking tone. "With Kiragakure shinobi after you, most people would be terrified."

"I learned that terror doesn't get me anywhere – no one's going to rescue me except myself," Seki retorted calmly. "And those assassins in Kiragakure are no long shinobi in my mind."

"Assuming these assassins _are_ targeting you, what makes you think they would come after you after so many years, especially with Zabuza dead," the Kazekage questioned, resting his chin on his folded hands and peering at her. "It makes no sense."

"Perhaps they have a new leader," Seki shrugged, her hands resting on her lap. "They might think I learned the jutsu after so many years, and want to use it for their own purposes. Or they wish to wipe out my bloodline – I honestly have no idea. Kiragakure assassins are hardly known for their long-term planning," she added dryly, and Gaara smirked in amusement. Temari stared at him in amazement when he straightened in his chair and turned to buzz a shinobi in.

"Gaara –" Temari began, but was interrupted as the young man entered.

"I want a messenger sent to the Fifth Hokage in Konohagure as soon as the sun rises the day after tomorrow," he ordered. "Inform them to be on the lookout for any assassins from Kiragakure, as well as anything out of the ordinary at all. I wish to meet with the Fifth Hokage as soon as possible – either here or in Konohagure, whichever is quicker."

"Y-yes, Lord Kazekage," the man nodded quickly.

As the shinobi quickly rushed out of the room, Gaara briefly turned to fix his gaze on Seki, who was patiently sitting in the chair silently, while Temari was obviously unsure what to do. "I am not doing this for your sake – I cannot allow those bastards to murder any more of our comrades than they have already done," the Kazekage informed him calmly, and she nodded.

"I understand."

"Perhaps," he snorted, and turned his gaze to Temari, who eyed him warily. "Temari, go make sure that fool is carrying out my orders properly, and then return here at once."

"Yes, Gaara," she nodded, grateful for an excuse to retreat from the deadly calm that was her brother.

"Now what?" Seki asked cautiously, remembering Temari's warning about Gaara's temper.

"I'm going to post shinobi guards around you for every second of the day until my messenger returns," the Kazekage informed her, but didn't choose to elaborate. Seki fell silent as well, each waiting for Temari to return. After a few minutes the woman reentered the room, and looked at Gaara cautiously.

"He's on his way, Gaara."

"Good."

"If I can ask – why wait a day?" Temari asked, and he smirked.

"The longer we wait, the better the chance they'll show themselves before we need to bring Konohagure into this," he informed the two women. "If they think we don't believe her, it'll be easy to catch them. Therefore, we wait. And by the way, Temari, you're to remain with her until he returns with a reply," Gaara ordered his sister, who looked at him in surprise.

"Me?" she repeated, and he nodded slowly.

"You."

"With all due respect, Gaara, I don't think that's the best choice," Temari protested, trying to rid herself of a babysitting job and return to being in charge of the several shinobi cells around the village.

"I'm hardly going to keep Kankuro on a job like this, and you two are the best in the village," Gaara replied coolly, and she nodded.

"You're the best, though – and Kiragakure assassins are nothing to take lightly. Wouldn't it be best if she remained with you instead?" she suggested, and Seki restrained a groan while Gaara took a step forward in surprise.

"_What_?"

"I mean, this way you can keep an eye on her more easily, and no Kiragakure assassins would come near the village if we made it known she was a 'personal guest' of the Kazekage," Temari continued hastily, hearing the dangerous tone of Gaara's voice. "We could let it leak out that she came from another village as a messenger bringing an alliance from the kage. This way, Kiragakure would assume two things – that we're expanding our alliances and territory, therefore growing stronger, and that she isn't a prisoner, but someone we're taking seriously."

"Hey –!" Seki interrupted, growing annoyed at being talked about as if she wasn't even present, but was overridden by Gaara.

"Interesting idea, Temari. And all so you don't have to be stuck with her," he grinned sourly at his sister, who returned with a weak smile.

"Well…uh…"

"Fine – do that. Be sure the proper information is leaked immediately – the more bait the better," he ordered, and Temari sighed in relief.

"Sure thing, Gaara," she nodded, and quickly left before her brother decided to add anything else. Seki remained sitting, unsure what to do now, and moved her head as she followed the noise of Gaara's footsteps as he walked across the room. The Kazekage noticed this absently, and smirked at the blind young woman.

"Well, you better hope you told us the entire truth," he told her, and saw her head move to stare blindly in his direction.

"I did," she said defensively, frowning slightly. Using his power over sand, Gaara moved effortlessly across the room to stand right behind her, and made her jump when he placed a hand around her neck and squeezed slightly.

"You're certainly at a disadvantage, I have to agree," he said coolly, noticing the cold sweat she broke out into. She refused to struggle, however, and did her best to remain frozen. "Don't worry – I have no urge to kill you yet," he informed her, releasing her and crossing his arms as he strode toward the door. "Come on, I have things to do."

"All right…" Seki said, getting to her feet and moving her head around in annoyance, trying to pinpoint where Gaara had gone. He shook his head, unable to figure out how he had gotten the responsibility of watching her and deciding to get Temari back for it later, and began to manipulate the sand. "What the –!" she gasped, as sand began to build up around her legs and lift her slightly in the air. "What are you doing?" she demanded, slightly frantic, as the sand began to move her towards the door, where Gaara was already walking down the hall.

"Bringing you along," he informed her, enjoying her embarrassed expression.

* * *

"By the way, you've gained some respect after all," Gaara mentioned, as he dragged the young woman behind him as he strode through the streets. She remained silent, silently sulking as she had once they left the building, and he smirked. "Not many shinobi can fool Temari like you did." 

"What are you talking about now?" she stammered, and he turned his head slightly to observe her.

"You may be blind, but you use your chakra to sense where objects are – like a jutsu, almost," he said calmly. "I'm positive if I placed you on your own two feet this very moment, you would be able to walk around without a single accident."

"What makes you think that?" Seki asked, sure she was unable to win against the Kazekage.

"An informed guess," he laughed shortly, and she shivered. "We're almost there."

"There? There where?" she pressed, now beginning to get nervous again.

"Where I live," he replied coolly. "Where did you think?" The shinobi trapped in the sand remained silent again, deciding to just keep her mouth shut and go along for the ride. After a few more minutes, they arrived at a two-story building, where Gaara brought her up the stairs and into a large apartment, completely furnished and rather dingy-looking.

"You live here?" she asked in surprise, waving her arms to keep her balance when he suddenly dropped her to the ground.

"Why?"

"It's…I dunno…I was expecting something…less worn-out," she shrugged, sneezing and sure the rest of the place was just as dusty as the area she was standing in.

"Were you expecting a palace?" he asked dryly, not bothering to turn around. "Just because I'm the Kazekage doesn't mean I live a grandios lifestyle. Now, the bedroom is over there – you can sleep there."

"Um…" she hesitated before sighing, knowing she couldn't fool him, and slowly made her way to the doorway where the room was. Gaara watched her silently, positive she wasn't using any kind of jutsu, and moved closer when she remained still.

"Well? Get changed and go to sleep," he ordered, and she whirled around, her cheeks pink.

"I…I think I'll just sleep in my clothes," she managed, turning away quickly and climbing into the bed before he could protest – zoki and all. He stared at her blankly for a moment before shrugging and turning around, turning off the light as he left.

"Have it your way. Remember – nothing funny," he warned, before closing the door shut tightly. She shivered slightly underneath the blankets and pulled them up to her chin, rolling over onto her side.

"What's the point?" she muttered into the pillow, somehow certain he had heard her.

* * *

Gaara spent the remainder of the night carefully analyzing all the kuonoichi had told him and considering the position he was in, along with the options available to him. Growing frustrated at not finding many, the Kazekage rose to his feet as soon as the sun began to shed its first light on the desert and strode to the room Seki was sleeping. Opening the door easily, he stood in the doorway and observed her for a moment, unable to believe she really was the capable ninja she said she was. 

She lay on her stomach, one arm hanging over the side of the bed while the other was presumably being slept on, her mouth slightly open and hair a complete mess, even by Gaara's standards. Rolling his eyes, the young man moved next to her and crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance, staring down at her as if his will could wake her up. Within moments, her eyes cracked open and she stared up at him blearily, obviously not awake yet.

"Wha…mm?" she mumbled, her noises followed by incoherent mumbling and shifting around to get more comfortable.

"It's time to get up," Gaara informed her stiffly, resisting the urge to dump her onto the floor that moment.

"Up?" she repeated absently, her head now under the pillow. He waited for some other reaction, and when he didn't get any he calmly took the pillow and tossed it out the window, glaring at her.

"I said get _up_," he growled, continuing to stare at her when her eyes moved to meet his.

"I…heard up," she managed, stretching for a moment before sitting up and scratching her head absently. "Where'd my pillow go?"

"I threw it outside," Gaara told her calmly. "Now, get up. I need to keep an eye on you, and that means you going where I go. And I have a lot of things to do, so get a move on."

"Sure, sure," Seki nodded agreeably, and Gaara turned his back and went to leave the room, expecting her to follow. He heard a 'thud' and glanced back, assuming she had just gotten to her feet. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw she was back under the covers, sleeping soundly.

"_What…I…she was awake!"_ he yelled mentally, and stalked back to the shinobi who was hiding underneath the blankets. He quickly pulled the blankets off of her and threw them across the room, before grabbing the collar of her shirt and bodily lifting her into the air.

"Hmm?" she murmured, opening her eyes again and reaching for the blankets.

"_Obviously not a morning person,"_ he groaned, and glared at her before shaking her. "I told you to get up – you get up!"

"All right, all right – hey!" Seki shrieked, finally waking up fully and realizing she was being held like she was some errant puppy. "Hey, put me down! I'm awake now, I promise!"

"Fine," Gaara said shortly, and promptly dumped her to the ground. She landed on her behind with a groan, and he waited impatiently as she got to her feet while glaring at him.

"Yeesh…can't I use the shower?" she demanded in surprise, as he began to leave the room a second time.

"You used that time sleeping in," he informed her curtly. "Now, you have three seconds to follow me out the door. If you don't, you'll wish you had."

Seki wasn't used to listening to threats like that, but she shivered when she remembered the Kazekage would keep his promise, and ran a brush through her hair as she raced out of the room and smack into Gaara's back, as he paused while opening the door.

"Much better," he said stiffly, and she tried to catch her breath as she jogged after him, all-too aware of her rumpled clothing and morning hunger. Frowning at his back, she resisted the urge to slip into one of the food stalls that lined the streets, deciding it was much safer to just do what she was told. Trying to ignore her stomach, she did her best to keep up to the Kazekage, occasionally bumping into things along the way. Gaara had only been partly right about her chakra sight – it allowed her to sense things nearby, but only when she was concentrating and for a limited space. Rushing as she was, she was moving too quickly to get a sense of the area before moving forward, and being woken so abruptly didn't do much for her concentration.

"Hey, watch it," a shinobi growled, as she accidentally elbowed him.

"Sorry," she said, quickly side-stepping and trying to catch a glimpse of Gaara's chakra. When she wasn't able to, she winced, knowing he wasn't going to be happy and blame her. _"I'm going to die!"_ she yelled at herself, hoping that at least he wouldn't kill her in front of everyone as she trudged through the streets. Moments later, she yelped when someone grabbed her shoulder tightly, and realized it was Gaara.

"Some jutsu," he commented dryly, and she shrugged.

"I'm not focused when I'm hungry," she hinted, hoping he'd feed her. The young man took no notice of her suggestion, and instead dragged her back to his office, trying hard to keep his temper under control at her apparent stupidity.

"Stay here and don't talk," he ordered, putting her in a chair near his desk and promptly paying her no mind. Seki glared unseeingly at him, but knew it was no use trying to argue.

* * *

Please review. 


	3. Third Eye

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thanks for the reviews! I'm finally updating...geting past the block. Yea me! I'm thinking of making this Neji/Sek - may seem abrupt, but their characters seem to go better. I'm just not liking how the Gaara/Seki is developing. Damn my characters their minds of their own! Damn them! Oh, and Takamasa is my OC as well.

Anyway, please don't hurt me. We all love Neji! Right?...Right...Well, we'll see. Just no reviews saying "YOU BETTER MAKE THIS GAARA!!" I hate those, and that'll only make me mad. Really.

Plesae review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

The girl remained in the chair for the rest of the morning, having been ordered to remain silent, and instead sat sulkily staring at the wall in front of her. To look at Gaara, one would think he didn't know she existed as he continued to deal with the problems of Sunagakure. Occasionally, though, he would focus his attention on her briefly, still unable to understand how a stupid ditzy girl like her ever managed to pass the exams to become chûnin, much less jônin.

"Get up," he ordered shortly, getting to his own feet as it neared early afternoon. Seki promptly rose stiffly, only reaching his shoulder, but didn't turn her head as he deliberately made noise as he approached her. "We're going to eat something," Gaara said, before turning around and heading toward the door. She quickly followed the noise he was making, disgruntled at having been sat down the entire morning as if she was in a time-out chair for being naughty.

* * *

"Feel better?" he asked suddenly, as they sat in a restaurant room reserved for the Kazekage. She looked up in surprise, already finishing up her third plate of food, and her eyes stared in his direction before nodding grudgingly.

"Yes, thank you," she said, before continuing to eat.

"Good think you're not a diplomat," the Kazekage commented with a wry grin, thinking it was a _very_ good thing.

"Hm? I guess so," Seki agreed with a shrug, finally full. "I mainly carried out Black-Op missions in Iwagakure with their ANBU."

"Really," Gaara stated, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.

"No S-class shinobi – assassinations," she said quickly. "Mist techniques serve quite well for the purpose."

"I'm sure they do," he muttered, and she narrowed her unseeing eyes before muttering something under her breath and staring downwards toward the table. "I don't trust Kiragakure shinobi, and especially a kunoichi whose hitai-ate symbol is scratched off."

Her face tightened perceptibly, but her lips narrowed and it was obvious there was nothing to say on the subject.

"I see," he said calmly, finishing his own meal. "Come on – I have things to do."

"Yes, oh great Kazekage," she muttered, before biting her lip as she stood. Seki knew this wasn't the way to be going about getting help from Sunagakure, but the Kazekage irritated her to no end, and years of patience seemed to have finally worn out.

"What did you say?" Gaara asked quietly, narrowing his eyes and peering at her. She managed not to gulp, and only swallowed thickly.

"Nothing."

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed to slits, and he then strode away.

* * *

"I almost wish Kiragakure assassins would show up," Seki told him curtly, back at the office. "I'm almost positive I'd get better treatment with them!"

"Then go find some," Gaara said, waving his head dismissively before returning to shinobi reports. Seki was stuck to the ceiling with sand, hanging upside her hands held behind her knees.

"If you let me down, gladly," she said through a clenched jaw. Gaara turned to observe her before shaking his head to himself and smirking.

"I don't think so. You can learn some valuable lessons in Sunagakure," he began, before a teenager strode into the room, looking surprisingly confident.

"Gaara-sensei, I'm ready for the training session," she reminded him, and Seki made a surprised noise at hearing Gaara being called a teacher.

"Ah, yes. Matsuri, this is Seki. She's training to become a diplomat," Gaara told his student solemnly, ignoring the young woman's gasps of protests. He grinned at the girl, who nodded back just as calmly.

"I wish you well, Seki-san!" the genin shinobi called, moving towards the door.

"H-hey! Gaara, put me down!" Seki demanded, realizing he was leaving.

"That's not very diplomatic," he chided her, before shutting the door. Having put scrolls of sealing around his office long ago so no one would bother him, Gaara was grateful he had when he heard a scream of frustration, muffled thanks to the sealing.

"She's mad," Matsuri observed. "Is she the one they found outside the village, Gaara-sensei?"

"Yes," he nodded, striding down the hall. "Let's get started before it gets any later."

* * *

"Ooo…I am _not_ happy!" Seki announced, doubting someone would hear after she had tried screaming several times in the past hour. Crossing her arms, she concentrated her chakra in her hands and feet, pouring as much as she was able before landing with an 'oomph!' on her head. Getting to her feet and rubbing the back of her head ruefully, she sighed in relief that exploding the chakra at those two points had broken whatever technique Gaara had been using to hold her there.

"Not quite what I was going for, but…" she admitted, just glad she was on her own two feet for now. To her chagrin, the door opened and someone new came in, as she judged by their chakra.

"My name's Ichigawa Takamasa," he introduced himself. "Lord Kazekage ordered me to keep an eye on you if you tried to leave."

"Does that mean I have to stay on the damn ceiling?" she asked sullenly, but he grinned and shook his head.

"That wasn't specified, no," he told her, wearing the standard ANBU uniform, mask hanging at his side. Tanned skin, amber eyes and cropped brown hair, which lacked scars of any kind, testified to his skill, and as Seki realized he was a Black-Ops shinobi, she couldn't resist grinning to herself after confirming it by asking.

"_At least he gives me that much credit,"_ she thought in satisfaction, and remained standing, completely silent.

"Well, you can sit down, at least," Takamasa offered, taking a seat on the Kazekage's desk himself.

"Your 'Lord Kazekage' isn't going to be very happy," Seki commented, noticing his seat.

"ANBU members are too valuable to kill off – and besides, Lord Kazekage's lightened quite a bit over the years," he told her, and she stared in his direction, her jaw dropped. "I'm guessing he's a hard-ass with you, of course," he laughed. "Yeah, he's like that. But he used to be much worse. And it's not like he's gonna pamper someone like you to begin with."

"Someone li-good point," she sighed, giving into the urge and plopping down into Gaara's seat. "And it's not like he can kill me either," she pointed, sensing Takamasa's gaze on her.

"Actually, he hasn't sent the messenger out, so…" he hinted, and she yelped and shot off the chair, and decided to be satisfied with the ground instead.

"Better?" she asked sarcastically, liking this shinobi much better than the Kazekage so far.

"Probably," he agreed, and they fell silent once more.

* * *

"How long is he going to be?" Seki asked, after almost another ninety minutes had passed in dead silence. Accustomed to ANBU shinobi, she wasn't surprised when the man hadn't felt the need to talk, and she preferred some peaceful quiet for a while anyway. But not this long.

"I dunno."

"Do we have to stay here?" she persisted. "I mean, you have kept an eye on me. I haven't tried to leave, and if you came, it wouldn't count."

"Spoken like a kunoichi on a mission," Takamasa chuckled. "And I don't know."

"How old are you, if you're in ANBU?" she asked after a minute, trying to figure out how skilled he was by how young he was to be in ANBU.

"Twenty-two," he replied, and she made a noise in her throat. "Average age."

"I suppose," she admitted, with some effort. He was one of the youngest ANBU shinobi she had met, and it irked her. She had been rejected for the application to ANBU status because of her handicap, and no amount of protesting had done anything to move the decision of the Tsuchikage.

"You must be good, to be a jônin and blind," he commented, and she grinned a little, slightly pacified.

"I try."

"I don't see why we can't get some exercise – I'm gonna get stiff," Takamasa decided suddenly, getting to his feet with a grunt. "I doubt Lord Kazekage wanted us to stay here the entire time."

"I bet he did," Seki argued, but not too much as she rose as well.

"Well…" he shrugged, trailing off. "I can blame you."

"_What_?" she shrieked, before realizing he was kidding. "That was not funny," she growled, wishing she could smack him, but knowing she couldn't for two reasons. One, she'd get her ass kicked by the ANBU member, and two, it would only aggravate Gaara more.

"Sorry," Takamasa said, not really sounding like he meant it. Holding the door open, he watched intently as she made her to the door, and grabbed her elbow as she passed him. "Gotta stay with you," he told her, and she nodded, having expected it.

* * *

"It's been almost four house since he left me on the ceiling," Seki muttered, as the sun began to lower itself from the sky. "I thought I was supposed to be a hostage or something. So what's with just leaving?"

"He has Masuri to train," Takamasa said. "And Lord Kazekage takes that very seriously. He pushes her hard, but it seems to work out. If you're hungry, we can get something to eat."

"Not right now," she replied, shaking her head. "Thanks for the offer. Is there anything else to do, other than just wander around? If I smack into something one more time…"

"I thought you had a jutsu to adjust your chakra to sense objects," the ANBU member objected, and she sighed, feeling like an idiot for not remembering Gaara would have told the man all he knew about her.

"I do…but…it takes up a lot of chakra," she said. "And since you've got quite the grip, I didn't think it would be necessary."

Takamasa narrowed his eyes and stared at her, knowing that she could have easily said or done something the two hours they had been wandering around, but decided to report it to Lord Kazekage and leave it alone.

* * *

"This isn't good," the Fifth muttered, reading a report from one of her ANBU members.

"What isn't, Lady Hokage?" Izumo Kamizuki asked, standing near the door with his partner and fellow personal assistant to Tsunade, Kotetsu Hagane.

"Iwagakure was attacked, and the Tsuchikage seriously injured," she said. "Apparently, Kiragakure assassins are responsible."

"Not good," Kotetsu agreed.

"Any ideas?" Izumo asked, but she sighed, resting her chin in her hand.

"I should send someone to Sunagakure to ensure nothing has happened there," she said reluctantly. "And to see if they know anything more. Who do you two suggest?"

"A pair," Kotetsu said quickly, cutting off the other young man. "Safety in numbers."

"Well, of course," Tsunade agreed, turning to the other. "Izumo?"

"Hyuga Neji," he replied promptly. "He just returned from an ANBU mission two days ago. With his skills and diplomacy, he should be fine."

"And the Kazekage knows Uzumaki, doesn't he?" Kotetsu added, referring to the chûnin shinobi. Kotetsu and Izumo had risen to jônin in the past year, and were fully enjoying their new status. "That kid should be good to send."

"All right, Neji and Uzumaki it is," Tsunade agreed, nodding her head. "Izumo, have someone let them know. Tell them to leave tonight – they should arrive sometime tomorrow, if they move. And tell them to move!" she added testily.

* * *

"Man, this sucks!" the twenty year-old chûnin complained, as the two shinobi hauled ass through the terrain, Tsunade's very-real threats hanging over their heads. "I was just gonna go eat some ramen!"

"Would you shut up and move?" Neji, a year older, demanded, mask firmly in place and hair tied in a long ponytail as usual.

"Hey, get the bug out of your ass," Naruto grumbled, but obliged the young man and stopped wasting energy complaining. Focusing their chakra in their feet, the two Konohagakure shinobi raced as quickly as they were able, which was an impressive speed, determined to reach Sunagakure by first light.

* * *

"Good morning!" Seki said, greeting the Kazekage cheerfully the next morning as he strode into the apartment, prepared to throw her out the window if she didn't move.

"I see you're awake," he said stiffly, wondering how he could have missed it. She had apparently showered and found something to eat, judging by the dishes in the sink.

"Takamasa brought me back late last night and sealed it so I wouldn't leave," she shrugged. "I figured you'd try the same thing this morning, so I thought I'd be ready this time."

"Good," Gaara nodded, a bit amused that she picked up so fast. The blind young woman was beginning to grow on him, and he found himself wondering if she had any siblings. Pausing to think a moment, he realized she couldn't have – if she had, the Kiragakure missing-nin would have killed them by now anyway.

"What?"

"Did you have siblings?" he asked, as she followed him out the door. She blinked in surprise, stopped for a moment before rushing to catch up with the Kazekage, who had never stopped walking.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I was small – I might have had a younger sibling, but my father kept me in seclusion. For safety, I suppose. I don't believe I did, however. Why?"

"I believe you would have made a satisfactory sister," Gaara said casually, but her jaw dropped in amazement.

"_Did he just say what I think he just said?"_ she wondered. After demanding an answer out loud, she waited stubbornly, glaring at his back the entire way to the Kazekage's offices.

"Yes, I said what you think I said," he said finally, irritably. "You aren't half-bad to be around, when you're not complaining."

"I don't complain!" she argued, before realizing he had paid her a compliment. Swallowing the rest of her words, Seki took a few moments to process this before gracing him with a sincere smile. "Thanks, Gaara."

"No problem."

"_I guess Takamasa was right,"_ she admitted grudgingly, wondering what could have changed the fearsome Gaara of the Sand that so many shinobi had spread horror stories of since before he was a genin.

* * *

"Takamasa, I'd like you to keep a close eye on Seki when I am unable to," Gaara ordered, meeting with the ANBU officer about an hour later. Seki looked surprised, but the young man didn't. In fact, he seemed a bit bemused, and grinned in return.

"No problem, Lord Kazekage. Happy to be of service," he agreed, saluting casually.

"I don't know how long you'll be here," the Kazekage explained briefly. "And the messenger is leaving in a few hours to Konohagakure. I have to ensure your safety in order for the story to remain credible to the other shinobi."

"I understand," Seki nodded. "And this way, you don't have to baby-sit me so often. Right?"

"Right," he admitted after a long pause, looking rather cheerful as he gazed at his trusted shinobi. "I don't want many people to know about this."

"I doubt I can keep word from spreading, Lord Kazekage," Takamasa objected, but Gaara shook his head.

"_Outside_ the village," he continued. "Have shinobi ensure that no merchants, travelers, or visitors heard a word of this. There's no need to alert any allies Kiragakure may have."

* * *

"We need to speak to the Lord Kazekage immediately," Neji informed the guard at the gate, not wanting to waste more time. It was already several hours past dawn, and the two shinobi were exhausted from their race. "We have a message from the Lady Hokage, to be delivered to the Lord Kazekage immediately."

"Wait here," the man ordered, disappearing for a moment.

"Conferring with comrades, of course," the ANBU captain muttered, and Naruto blinked.

"Huh?"

"Whether they're going to let us in or not," the Hyuga genius hissed, and Naruto nodded, in a uniform of black orange.

"They better," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "I didn't run all the way here just to fight to get in."

"Be quiet," Neji ordered, as the man returned, with another shinobi beside him. Neji recognized Kankuro, and waved in recognition.

"Hey, nice to see you two again," Kankuro greeted them, and turned to the guard. "Let them in – they're from Konohagakure."

"Security's tight here as well," Neji commented, striding inside and waiting until Kankuro joined up with them to be escorted to Gaara.

"Of course," Kankuro began, and then stopped. "Gaara can tell you the rest," he decided, and the two shinobi exchanged suspicious glances.

* * *

Note: I don't know whether it's Lord or Lady Hokage for Tsunade, so I made it Lady. Screw it. And I softened Gaara a bit, since he does. Please review.


	4. Fourth Eye

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I keep looking, and the story's on all these alert and fav lists, but not many people review. (sigh) If you read this, please let me know!! It helps, trust me.

As I've told several reviewers, I do believe this is going to lean toward Neji/Seki. Their personalities just seem to fit better (as the story progresses), but we'll see. If you don't want to keep reading, just let me know - I won't be mad. Some action, and we get to see what Seki can do! The jutsus are all taken from Naruto, and the reason she uses them are simple: I'm not creative or smart enough to figure out names of my own, and I believe the jutsus she uses are general jutsus for Kiragakure. Anyway...I like writing Takamasa!

Please review! Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Has the messenger departed yet?" Gaara asked, a jônin standing before him nervously. 

"Not yet, Lord Kazekage," he replied, his eyes noting the ease with which the ANBU shinobi rested in a chair, while Seki was standing by the window, a poker-face on.

"Then have him leave immediately," the Kazekage ordered, and the man turned to leave when another shinobi burst in, looking out of breath. "What is it?" Gaara asked, sounding annoyed. "Is there something wrong?"

"A-actually, Lord Kazekage…" the shinobi began, "There are two messengers from Konohagure here waiting to see you."

"_What_?" Gaara demanded, his eyes narrowing angrily. "When did they arrive? Why was I not informed?"

"Th-they just arrived, Lord Kazekage," the poor jônin said, backing towards the door as Gaara slowly rose to his feet, obviously angry.

"Then send them in," he said quietly, pronouncing each word with dangerous clarity. "And have the messenger wait a bit longer for my orders."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage," the shinobi stammered, the first having already left. The man disappeared, returning in moments with two figures following him.

"Good. You can leave now," Gaara ordered, and glanced past the man to see who the messengers were. He silently groaned when Naruto Uzumaki strode into the room, a grin plastered on his face, and followed by a placid-looking Neji Hyuga. _"Not that fool…it figures,"_ the Kazekage silently complained, as the only one imperious to the young man's death glares took a seat before him.

"Hey, long time, no see, Gaara," Naruto greeted him cheerfully, while Neji remained near the door. They cast a quick glance toward Seki, who was obviously unsure who they were, before returning to the task at hand.

"Of course, Uzumaki," Gaara retorted. "What are you doing here? Did the Fifth Hokage send you?"

"Of course – this isn't a pleasure trip," Neji informed coolly, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, wearing his ANBU uniform with the mask at his side. He and Gaara briefly exchanged glares before Gaara returned his attention to Naruto, who had turned to Seki.

"Hey – I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you," the blond young man grinned, offering his hand to the blind shinobi. She merely gazed unseeingly in his direction and grinned easily.

"I'm Yahagi Seki – pleased to meet you. I've heard of you before," she nodded, and Naruto awkwardly withdrew his hand while Neji snorted in amusement.

"_Dunce."_

"What are you here for?" Gaara interrupted, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "I have other things to attend to, Uzumaki."

"We were sent to ensure Sunagakure was intact," Neji said, not waiting for Naruto to speak. "We received word of the attack on Iwagakure, and the Fifth wanted to make sure everything here was fine. And to see if you knew anything else. We know they were from Kiragakure, but that's about all."

"I figured as much," the Kazekage said dryly, resisting the urge to sigh heavily. "I was just about to send a messenger to Konohagure to the Fifth Hokage concerning a matter involving Kiragakure assassins. He can accompany you both back – it's imperative the message arrives as quickly as possible." The Kazekage pressed a switch on an electronic device, and spoke into the microphone. "Temari, I'd like you in my office immediately." Several minutes passed in silence until the young woman arrived, noticing Neji and Naruto in surprise before turning to Gaara.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Let the messenger know he'll be going with two shinobi from Konohagakure," Gaara told her. "Have him wait outside."

"All right," she nodded, leaving the room the next moment.

"Yahagi Seki is a shinobi that escaped the Kiragakure assassins in Iwagakure," Gaara told Naruto and Neji calmly, and they both eyed the girl for a moment in surprise. "I'd appreciate it if you informed the Fifth Hokage of this. And let her know I would like to set up a meeting as soon as possible – for Seki."

"What?" the young woman interrupted. "I –"

"You're the one with the problem," he said dryly. "The Fifth may as well hear it from you."

Seki looked like she wanted to protest some more, but Takamasa made a noise in his throat, and she grunted before crossing her arms and retreating next to the ANBU officer.

"Takamasa is one of my ANBU officers – he will accompany Seki to Konohagakure as well," Gaara told them sternly, and Neji stepped forward.

"I don't think the Fifth will want any Sunagakure ANBU in Konohagakure," he began, but Gaara shook his head.

"As protection," the Kazekage informed them, and allowed himself a small grin at Naruto's confused look. "The reasons must be told to the Fifth before anything else. I suggest you hurry back," he added, and Neji nodded sharply.

"Sure thing, Gaara," Naruto agreed, a grin crossing his face, and the Kazekage made a disgruntled noise before getting to his feet with a sigh.

"Let me know an answer as soon as possible," he added. "The Kiragakure assassins are moving quickly, and I'm not sure who they'll strike next."

"All right," the shinobi nodded, and turned to leave, Neji behind him. Gaara waited until they had left before turning to the other two present, looking grim.

"I'm surprised they haven't moved on either Sunagakure or Konohagakure," he admitted, crossing his arms.

"They're probably trying to make sure where I am," Seki said, shrugging a little. "If they attacked the wrong village, I would be warned to move."

"You're to return to Konohagakure with their messengers when they return," the Kazekage continued. "The Fifth Hokage is a strange woman, but I'm sure she'll listen to you. I believe they'll send Uzumaki and Hyuga again, and with Takamasa along as well there should be no serious threat from the assassins."

"The other man was Neji Hyuga?" Seki asked in surprise, and Gaara nodded.

"A Captain in ANBU right now. Uzumaki is no pushover either – they're both strong and capable, which is why the Fifth sent them," he told her. "She knows they can be trusted. But until you talk to her, don't tell anyone else the whole truth. It could compromise the mission."

"Of course," she replied, sounding offended. "I know that."

"I have some things to prepare, to send to the Fifth," Gaara told them, moving towards his desk. "You may as well go eat something – I'd like some privacy."

"Sure thing, Lord Kazekage," Takamasa agreed, striding towards the door while keeping an eye on Seki, who seemed to be having a harder time moving than she had earlier. She managed to reach the door, however, where the ANBU captain rested his hand on the back of her neck lightly. "Come on, don't want to bother Lord Kazekage."

"I'm fine," she muttered, but made no move to remove his hand.

* * *

"Foggy out," Takamasa commented, and Seki's eyes narrowed as she felt the damp air in the village. 

"Is it unusual?" she asked, keeping her voice normal.

"Not really," he shrugged. "It's early in the morning – it only happens when we're going to rain, though. Which isn't often."

"I see," she said, continuing to walk. Within moments, a kunai flew past Takamasa's face, and he caught it with two fingers in surprise.

"Get down!" he ordered, moving to push Seki onto the ground, but the jônin was already using a jutsu, her fingers interlinking together easily.

"Kiragakure no Jutsu!" she said, her voice commanding as the mist thickened and she slipped from Takamasa's grip in an instant.

"_So, I suppose we'll see what she can do," _the ANBU shinobi thought, quickly adjusting to the fighting conditions, realizing the blinding mist allowed Seki to fight at her best – and in the same deadly style Kiragakure shinobi specialized in. Takamasa swiftly hid himself, waiting to see what the kunoichi was capable of.

Three shadows flitted past him, and he knew he would remain undetected unless he moved, not being their true target. Wondering where Seki had gone to, he had no choice but to keep still.

* * *

Seki remained invisible in the mist, waiting for the assassins to come to her. Her heart pounded, racing with adrenaline, and she was aware she was feeling a rush of excitement. 

"_It's been a long time since I had opponents of this caliber,"_ she thought, waiting in anticipation. The shinobi who had chased her to Sunagakure had hardly been a challenge, but she could sense the chakras of the three assassins who were hunting her, and she was certain she would be able to unleash her full skills to her satisfaction. Sure enough, it wasn't long before one of the jônin found her, coming up behind her.

"I have you, kunoichi!" he cried, plunging a kunai into her jugular. Blood spattered his face before her body dissolved into a puddle, and he leapt back instantly, realizing she had used Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu to hide her true body.

"I disagree – I have you," she said softly, as several clones surrounded him. "I'm surprised you fell for such a cheap trick," she added with a wry grin, her fingers flickering as she formed another jutsu. "Bakusui Shōha no Jutsu!" she announced, as water covered the area around them. "Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" The final attack came as a surprise, the assassin not realizing she was capable of moving so fast, and was crushed as the water dragon devoured him in its jaws.

"Revealing yourself wasn't a very wise idea!" a second assassin informed her, appearing and remained still as he faced the single form. Positive it was only a clone, he decided not to attack yet, waiting for Seki to reveal herself.

"Then why did you just step out without attacking?" she asked curiously, watching him carefully.

"A clone can't last long against a real shinobi!" he shouted, lunging towards her, deciding to defeat the clone and discover her position. As his clawed gauntlet plunged into her side, his eyes widened in surprise when he heard a grunt, and blood dripped to the ground.

"Unlike Kiragakure assassins, I can take a few hits," Seki told him, pressing her palm against his forehead. " Hahonryū no Jutsu!"

The spiraling blast of water killed the assassin before his body hit the ground, and she quickly spirited away once more.

* * *

"Impressive," Takamasa murmured, noticing a shadowed figure moving around in the fog, seeking a target. "Kaze no Yaiba!" he shouted, hurling the blades of wind towards his intended target. The ANBU shinobi moved from his spot instantly, not wanting to remain a target in case he hit a clone, observing the body on the ground. Blood seeped from where the blades had sliced through, and Takamasa knew of no clone that could bleed. 

"I almost had him," Seki said in disappointment, standing over the dead assassin as Takamasa strode up to it.

"I let you have the other two," he commented, glancing around for the bodies. Sure enough, they were extremely dead, and prone on the ground where they had been.

"Let me?" she repeated in obvious amusement, raising an eyebrow. It was obvious she had enjoyed herself, and Takamasa was a bit disturbed at the ease with which she had killed the Kiragakure assassins.

"All right, you got 'em," he conceded, knowing she had taken them out much more safely from the mist than he might have.

"Thank you," she grinned, and dropped to a crouch beside the sliced one. "Kiragakure, of course," she shrugged, noticing the hitai-ate. "No other shinobi could have maneuvered so easily in my mist."

"Speaking of which…" Takamasa realized, noticing that it had almost disappeared. She looked up in surprise, and chuckled.

"It's been a long time since I got to do this," she said in satisfaction, getting to her feet.

"I don't have to ask what happened, do I?" Gaara asked dryly, surprising them as he appeared beside the second body.

"I doubt it, Lord Kazekage," Takamasa replied, while Seki released the last of her clones.

"I had hoped they would wait a while," he sighed, crossing his arms. They remained silent for a moment while each considered their options now, and turned simultaneously when a voice reached their ears.

"Aw, we're too late," Naruto commented in disappointment, surveying the scene. "Neji noticed that the mist had thickened suddenly, and after Zabuza, I'm naturally suspicious of fog," he added with a grin. "Who took 'em out?"

"I did, of course," Seki answered, sounding a bit irritated when Neji looked surprised. "I was brought to Iwagakure by Kiragakure shinobi – of course they taught me techniques," she added, addressing the last part to Gaara, who nodded.

"So, what now?" Neji demanded calmly. "If this girl is the target, they already know she's here. Should she remain here until we return?"

"I don't think that would be in the best interest of Sunagakure," Gaara objected, shaking his head. Seki crossed her arms, waiting for the inevitable, and nodded when he glanced at her. "You'll go to Konohagakure with them," the Kazekage ordered, and turned to the messenger. "There's no need for you now."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage," he nodded, knowing when he had been dismissed, and promptly retreated.

"I'll send someone to Iwagakure informing the Tsuchikage of this development," Gaara continued. "I wouldn't be surprised if Kiragakure attacked them again."

"All right – we leave now," Neji agreed, his eyes narrowing at Seki's mention of being taught by Kiragakure shinobi.

"She needs to be treated first, Neji," Naruto objected, noticed Seki holding her side tightly.

"They got me better than I thought," she admitted, wincing a little. "I just need a bandage to stop the bleeding, that's all."

"Wait here – I'll take her to a medic-nin," Takamasa told the others, taking her other arm and leading her down the street.

"Do you usually allow your ANBU to order you around?" the Hyuga prodigy asked in amusement, but Gaara only glanced at him.

"What a mess," the Kazekage muttered, a little relieved that the Fifth would have to deal with the blind shinobi after this. Relations with Iwagakure could have been better, and he wasn't looking forward to trying to convince them of his sincere intentions.

* * *

"Why aren't you using your seeing jutsu?" Takamasa asked casually, as they reached the hospital. Seki blinked, but didn't reply, and he grinned wryly. "Because there isn't one?" 

"No, I can use it – but it takes an enormous amount of chakra," she said after a long pause, sitting down and calmly removing her shirt so the medic-nin could inspect her wound. Takamasa prudently turned around, and considered her words.

"Those jutsu you used – the amount of chakra they consume must have been large as well," he said, and she nodded.

"Yes – I had a feeling they might attack soon. I didn't want to waste my chakra on the jutsu," she told him calmly. "I can adjust well enough without it."

"And you don't waste energy," he commented. "You could hardly walk straight this morning."

"I had used it last night, to move around the apartment," Seki admitted, pulling her shirt back on and getting to her feet. "I feel better now, though – I built up a large capacity for chakra after all these years. Kiragakure shinobi are ruthless in their training," she added with a grin. "And the tutoring I received from Iwagakure wasn't much better either."

"You must have a wide range of jutsu."

"I prefer the mist," she shrugged, as they headed out. The entire healing process hadn't taken much longer than five minutes, and they fell silent as they walked the streets. Returning to the battle area, Takamasa saw the bodies had been removed, and Gaara had left as well.

"Where's Lord Kazekage?" he asked, guessing the answer already.

"Preparing a message for the Tsuchikage," Neji said dryly. "I have a feeling we'll have to take her to Iwagakure to back up his story afterwards."

"My name is Yahagi Seki," she said sternly, but the ANBU shinobi only stared at her for a long moment before turning away. His distrust was evident, and she frowned at his back until Naruto took an arm and began to walk after Neji, Takamasa close behind.

"So, how'd you like Sunagakure?" he asked eagerly, and she grinned, able to tell he was a pleasant young man. "I haven't been here often, but I've known Gaara for years."

* * *

Well? Please review! 


	5. Fifth Eye

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Ah, we go! Another chapter - and thanks to all my reviewers and readers who keep the story going. And for not beating me over the pairing change - it's officially Neji/Seki, people! If it really pisses you off, just stop reading. DON'T review/message me asking what my problem is, I had better change it, etc. That just irritates me. Anyway, please enjoy! Edited title, summary, and pairing, just so you know.

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

Conversation quickly died away as the shinobi sped over the land, entering the forests that marked the borders of the Land of Fire. Neji led the group, occasionally pausing to use his Byakugan to scan for enemies, while Naruto was alongside Seki, with Takamasa slightly behind them, serving as a guard. They were forced to slow their pace an hour into their journey, despite Seki's protests she was able to keep up, and were only halfway to Konohagakure when the sun began to dip into the sky. 

"We'll have to stop for the night," Neji told the others, but Naruto grunted while Takamasa remained silent.

"Neji, we can travel well enough during night," the young man argued. "I think we better keep moving. The longer we take, the more chance they'll attack Konohagakure before we get there."

Neji took a few minutes to mull over his decision before nodding, sparing a glance for a strained-looking Seki.

"I assume you can keep up?" he checked, and she nodded stubbornly.

"I'm fine," she assured them, rolling her shoulders. "Let's keep going."

"All right," the ANBU captain nodded sharply, and abruptly began the journey once more. Naruto, who was naturally curious about the young woman, eventually noticed something in the way she moved through the forest with them as it grew dark.

"Hey – you're copying Neji's movements!" he realized quietly, and she turned her head towards him in surprise before nodding, not missing a beat.

"I can pick out where his footsteps are," Seki told him. "This way, I can keep up and make sure I won't get injured in the process."

"Oh," Naruto nodded, and grinned. "Must be cool, to hear like that."

"It's more like sensing the right chakra," she corrected. "It can be…difficult, but since I have other people around, it's easier to figure out where everyone is."

"You're bleeding again," Takamasa commented, seeing the bandage on her side stained with pale red marks.

"I'm fine," she protested. "It just opened a little. I can get healing at Konohagakure – I hope," she added quietly, not expecting a very warm welcome to the village, if they were at all sane.

"I'll decide that," the Sunagakure ANBU said firmly, and promptly scooped her up, cradling her with his arms as he moved next to Naruto in place of Seki. "Lord Kazekage ordered me to protect you, and letting you push yourself like this isn't going to help."

"Hey!" she argued. "Put me down!"

"Be quiet," Neji ordered, surprising the others by suddenly stopping.

"Enemies?" Naruto whispered, but he shook his head.

"No. But we don't want to attract unnecessary attention," the Hyuga told them sternly. "And I don't need her dropping before we reach Konohagakure," he added, and she shot a blank glare in the direction of his voice. "And I suggest you stop looking at me like that, or I might decide it's easier to transport you unconscious," he informed her, and she stared at him in shock before fixing a sullen look on her face. "Better," Neji nodded, moving once again. "We won't be much longer."

* * *

"So, this is the young woman who caused all this trouble," Tsunade said with a sly grin, observing the exhausted young woman in front of her. Seki wasn't normally so tired after a journey like the one she had just taken, but her wound hurt worse than she would admit, going deeper than she had thought, and weakened her greatly. She was only able to stand thanks to Takamasa's arm supporting her, and she felt like a fool. 

"I am honored you allowed me into your village, Lady Hokage," Takamasa told her smoothly, as Seki couldn't quite catch her breath yet. They had come to the Hokage's office as soon as they entered the gates of Konohagakure moments past dawn, and hadn't had much of a chance to tell her anything yet.

"I didn't have much of a choice, but I trust you will adhere to the treaty," she replied, her voice equally smooth, referring to the treaty she and Gaara had hashed out when he became Kazekage.

"Of course, Lady Hokage."

"She needs healing, Lady Hokage," Neji interrupted, pointing out the kunoichi's wound, which had opened even further despite Takamasa's carrying her the rest of the way.

"I see," Tsunade noticed, frowning slightly. "When did you receive this wound?"

"Kiragakure assassins in Sunagakure," Seki told her, before any of the other shinobi could speak for her again. "They managed to find us as your two shinobi were leaving."

"Which is why she's with us, as I said," the Hyuga reminded the Hokage dryly, who blinked for a moment before nodding.

"Ah! All right then, I'll have someone escort you and…Takamasa? Escort you two to the hospital so a medic-nin can treat you," Tsunade said briskly, pausing slightly as she remembered the Sunagakure ANBU captain's name. "Naruto, go get something to eat – I'll let you know when I need you. Neji, you remain here."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage," Seki said gratefully, as a shinobi entered, his hitai-ate over his eyes while bandages wrapped around his head. Seki turned slightly, hearing him enter, and Tsunade chuckled when he remained silent.

"This is Tonbo Tobitake," she told the two shinobi. "He's one of my guards. He'll take you to the hospital."

"Of course," the man nodded, bowing slightly to the Hokage before turning to Takamasa. "This way."

"Sure thing. Thanks again, Lady Hokage!" he called, hefting Seki over his shoulder, ignoring her violent and colorful protests, while following the shinobi. Naruto had taken off for the Ichiraku Ramen Bar as soon as Tsunade had mentioned eating, and Neji remained silent, gazing at her.

"How did they behave?" she asked, and he uncrossed his arms and moved to her desk.

"She truly is blind – she mimicked my movements the entire time, and refused to admit her wound caused her pain," he informed her. "As for the ANBU one…he's a strange one. I didn't sense any malice from him, though. He was told to protect her, and I believe that will come before anything else."

"So, stubborn and loyal to a fault, respectively," Tsunade chuckled. "I'll have to thank the Kazekage for this next time we meet. What a mess…any sign of Kiragakure?"

"None whatsoever. She wiped out two of them alone, and could have taken a third easily," Neji told her calmly. He and Naruto had arrived sooner than they had told the Sunagakure shinobi, and watched as Seki effortlessly defeated the two shinobi assassins. "Her fighting is a bit reckless, though."

"Who's isn't?" the woman sighed, resting her chin on her hands. "All right, Neji. Organize a squad for special patrol, and then keep an eye on them. I don't want an ANBU captain from Sunagakure roaming by himself, no matter what his orders and loyalty may be."

"And the girl…?" he prodded, waiting for her to finish.

"As long as she doesn't cause further trouble, there's no need to be excessively forceful," Tsunade decided. "Just make sure they always have an escort, whether it's you or someone else."

"It may as well be me, since I have to watch them anyway," he muttered, looking disgruntled.

"Really, Neji, there's no need to complain," she laughed. "At least you'll get a break from dangerous missions, right?"

"How do you know this isn't going to be even more dangerous?" he asked calmly, and the Hokage paused a moment in surprise before shrugging, waving at him as he turned to leave.

* * *

"Ow!" Seki yelped in protest as the medic-nin began the healing process, wincing as the chakra touched her flesh. "Don't you dare look, Takamasa!" she ordered, shooting a glare at the only one she could vent at, the shinobi with his back turned and eyes closed tightly. 

"Wouldn't dream of it," he assured her, grinning a little to himself. _"For the daughter of the former Mizukage, she certainly doesn't much act like one,"_ he thought, as Seki fell quiet. _"I wonder what kind of status she had in Iwagakure…if any? I'll have to ask her. With my luck, having a subordinate will have those 'privileged' genes up and raring to go in no time."_ He chuckled at the thought of her ordering him around, knowing he'd do most things anyway, and contemplated the image until someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find Seki staring up at him stubbornly, fully dressed and looking rather peeved.

"Takamasa…" she growled, and he looked at her in confusion.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you do anything about _him_?" she demanded, pointing over him. The Sunagakure ANBU glanced behind him, finding Neji Hyuga standing in the doorway, looking slightly amused. "He wouldn't leave!" she hissed, and Takamasa realized the young man must have been there while he was lost in thought.

"Is this how Konohagakure shinobi treat strangers?" Takamasa asked calmly, a little peeved at himself. "By watching young woman undress?"

"I was ensuring her wound was clean," Neji replied calmly, deactivating the Byakugan, and gave them the once-over. "You need new clothes," he commented, speaking to Seki, who was unable to argue with this fact. "I've been assigned to escort the two of you while you're in Konohagakure," he informed them, and Seki groaned audibly.

"That's fine," Takamasa nodded agreeably, keeping a calm exterior. _"How am I supposed to do my job if someone is going to get in my way?"_ he demanded to himself, not happy in the least.

"So…when can I get these new clothes, then?" she asked pointedly, and Neji waited a moment, gazing poker-faced at her like he did to everyone.

"Come on," he ordered, turning his back on them. "It's not far from here."

* * *

"So, how long is it going to take?" Seki grumbled, plucking in annoyance at the simple kimono she had been given. When Neji had said 'new' clothes, he meant a temporary change of clothes while her own were mended. Immensely disliking the gown, feeling constricted, she glared at Takamasa, who was obviously trying not to laugh. "Stop that!" 

"Yes, Seki-hime," he grinned, and she gaped at him for a moment before huffing and turning away.

"If you're done?" Neji hinted, a little disgruntled. "Your clothes will be mended by this afternoon," he continued, ignoring Takamasa entirely. "I suggest we get something to eat in the meantime."

"I'm starving," the tall shinobi agreed, and Seki nodded.

"Is there a good place?" she asked, her head turning as she followed Neji's footsteps. Hoping he didn't have some ability, like Gaara, to float or something, she sighed in relief when Takamasa gently took her arm, saving her the trouble of tracking, or activating Chakra Koukei Jutsu and wasting energy.

"The Ichiraku Ramen Bar isn't bad," Neji was forced to admit, knowing Naruto would still be there. While he didn't mind the blonde as much as he used to, Neji preferred no company to company, and quiet company to loud company. Unfortunately, Naruto almost always fell into the latter category.

"That sounds good," the young woman said thoughtfully. "I haven't eaten ramen in a long time."

"It's the best Ramen stand in Konohagakure," the young man told them curtly, beginning to walk down the street.

"I'm sure that's saying something, from the size of the village," Takamasa offered, quickly moving to follow the Hyuga down the street. Seki, still muttering under her breath about a dress, allowed herself to be guided down the street, slightly pacified with the promise of food and enjoying the feeling of security she was experiencing.

* * *

"Hey!" Naruto called, waving them over. "I didn't know you guys were coming," he protested, quickly moving over on the stools so he was in-between Seki and Neji, with Takamasa on her other side. "You should've told me!" 

"We didn't know where you were going, Naruto," Neji reminded him, quietly ordering. Seki and Takamasa followed suit, the young woman eagerly looking forward to breakfast, no matter how different it was.

"You look really pretty, Seki-chan," Naruto mumbled through some ramen, surprising her with both his compliment and his familiarity. She had never met anyone like the young man, but was growing to like him.

"Thank you, Naruto," she smiled, unsure how to address him exactly. Neji mumbled something under his breath, but was forced to admit to himself that the kunoichi at least looked more reputable in clean clothing than the worn outfit she had previously been wearing.

"What're you guys doing today?" he asked eagerly, as their ramen was put down in front of them. He ordered another bowl as the three began to eat their own meal. Seki's food quickly disappeared, and she sighed in relief, the feeling of having a full stomach still a bit strange after doing so many missions and trips with other shinobi in Iwagakure.

"I don't know," she replied, shrugging a little and rolling her shoulders in annoyance. Her obi was wine-red, with the fabric of the kimono a cream color, with silver petals scattered on her left shoulder and the left-bottom corner of her robe. She wasn't able to appreciate the beauty, obviously, and was hardly aware how attractive she appeared in it, either – all she knew was that she preferred pants to anything. She hadn't even been able to keep her hitai-ate, and was forced to leave it with the rest of her clothing.

"Why don't you come with me?" Naruto offered. "I'll introduce you to the other shinobi in town. I think you'd like most of them. How old are you, anyway?" he asked abruptly, and then clamped a hand over his mouth, remembering too late the lesson he had learned the hard way from Sakura – never ask a woman her age. Seki only grinned at him, though, and ate some more ramen she had ordered before replying.

"Nineteen."

"_Nineteen?"_ Neji repeated incredulously to himself, looking up sharply. He knew she must have been around their age, but thought that she was at least late twenties, judging from her attitude and skill. He hadn't even considered that she was younger than him, much less younger than Naruto.

"I'm twenty – Neji's a year older," Naruto was explaining cheerfully. "You must be pretty good!"

"I try," she grinned, aware she was actually having fun in this strange village.

"So, what do you say?" he prodded. She opened her mouth to answer, and then cast a quick glance towards Takamasa. He only shrugged and gestured with his shoulder to Neji, who was apparently ignoring them entirely.

"I'd really enjoy that, but Hyuga-san is in charge of us, apparently," she answered honestly, watching the young man carefully for a reaction. She thought she detected a twitch in his chakra at the honorific, but wasn't entirely sure and decided to use it more to make sure.

"Aw, c'mon, Neji!" Naruto began, turning to his friend. "There's no harm in that! She can't stay in Konohagakure and not even meet anyone!"

"All right, all right," Neji muttered, having finished his food long ago but content to rest while he could.

"All _right_!" the blonde cheered, pumping his fist in the air, and Seki giggled at his exuberance. "But first – some more ramen!" he added, holding his bowl out for more. Takamasa chuckled, while Neji smacked his forehead in exasperation and Seki eagerly followed Naruto's example.

* * *

"…Shikamaru Nara, and Kiba Inuzuka," Naruto finished, introducing her to the so-named jônin, Sakura, and Hinata. 

"Pleased to meet you," Hinata said with a smile, having matured from shy to polite and pleasant.

"It's an honor to be in Konohagakure," Seki replied promptly, beginning to execute a curt bow as she usually did and was tripped up by her hem. She would have landed on her face if not for Neji's quick grab, and he released her as soon as she was steady again. "Whoops," she laughed nervously, beginning to turn red.

"Hn," Shikamaru shrugged, looking around with his usual bored expression and wondering what the hell he was doing there to begin with.

"_The way she acts – when she wants to, it's evident she's had training for nobles,"_ Neji thought, examining the young woman with narrowed eyes. _"And yet, she's a classified missing-nin, daughter of a murdered Mizukage…I'm sure I'll have to get more information out of her somehow."_

"Have you been in Konohagakure long?" Sakura asked curiously, but Seki shook her head.

"Just this morning," she explained, with a shaky grin. "My clothes are being mended, and Hyuga-san graciously lent me some clothing."

"I'd hope he would!" Kiba whooped, with an accompanying bark of laughter from Akamaru. Neji glared at them in annoyance, but Seki paid no attention, a small smile on her face.

"_He definitely dislikes being called 'san'. Hm…"_

"How long are you going to stay here?" Sakura pressed, as the small group – well, small group and Akamaru – ambled down the street. Seki faltered a bit, and Takamasa grinned cheerfully.

"Not sure. We have a lot of business to complete."

"You're more like a princess, with a bodyguard and all," Kiba commented, from atop Akamaru. "I mean, I've never met a blind shinobi."

"I haven't either," Seki agreed, a teasing grin on her face. "Since I've never had to meet myself. And I do feel strange without even my hitai-ate or shuriken. Hopefully I'll have them back by the end of the day."

"Neji, is it all right if Hinata and I take Seki around for a bit?" Sakura asked suddenly, surprising the ANBU captain – both of them. "You know – for girl things," she added pointedly, and Neji rolled his eyes.

"I don't see why not," he sighed, and eyed Takamasa. "I can have some time to discuss issues with Takamasa here."

"Sounds fair to me," the Sunagakure shinobi grinned back at the young man, enjoying the tense atmosphere.

"I'm gonna blow this place," Shikamaru announced, and wandered off, looking almost drunk with the way he walked. Kiba fell back with Naruto, and Neji and Takamasa headed in a different direction as well, leaving Seki alone with the two strange young women.

* * *

Little longer than usual, but had to keep going. Everyone remembers Tonbo Tobitake, right?? The one who knees the student during the first stage of the exams?? So cool. (grin) And 'hime' is basically princess - Takamasa's just teasing her. Mostly...I dunno, he's a strange one. And there won't be any Naruto/Seki stuff - I just like him in this story. Please review. 


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